Photos and reporting by Robert Kokenyesi, Ceramic Artist, Beachfront Pottery, Godfrey, IL, 62035, USA. If you enjoyed this post, then give me a “like” on my Facebook page. There is additional information about Beachfront Pottery on my web site.
The Venue
The 16th biennial teapot exhibit took place from January 12 to March 18, 2018, in the galleries of Craft Alliance in University City, MO. Check out the current offerings from them on their web site.The picture on the left is the view of the entrance to the gallery and the store from Delmar Blvd.
Here is the wall surface with the exhibit title. This is what you saw as you entered the store, and turned right to enter the gallery.
The Call for Entry
The call for entry called for works in all craft media from both emerging and established artists. Craft Alliance Center of Art + Design invites artists nationwide with an interest in demonstrating their investigation of the teapot form and any aspect of the topic of personal identity.
The Ceramic Art Pieces
There were a few non-ceramic teapots in the exhibit, so that’s why the title emphasizes that I review here only the ceramic ones. This first part includes teapots that follow the traditional teapot shape. By traditional teapot shape I mean a circular or oval body that narrows toward the lidded top. The handle should be on top or on the opposite side to the spout. The spout is placed in a normal position. The uniqueness of these teapots usually comes from surface texture, glazing decoration.
Dganit states on her website that ” I aspire to create pots that are aesthetically pleasing and useful. I like the surface of the ware to be richly decorated but pleasant to the touch, and the forms to be comfortable to use. ” Her “Older Works” on the site is worth checking out!!
On her website she states about her pieces: ” Created to make eating and drinking that much more special! My work is fired in kilns fueled with wood. The firings range from 36 to 80 hours, which lead to surfaces dripping in ash or marked by the path of the flame through the kiln. When you hold a favorite wood fired piece, there are always new colors and details to notice and textures to intrigue.”
On his web site Stephen states that “Chimneys, windows, vents, smokestacks and piping are integrated in my work as decoratively charged elements of visual interest. Sometimes these elements are incorporated into my work as handles, lids, and spouts. I also incorporate numbers and symbols on my work through the use slip stencils and laser print transfers. These markings give variety and reference the architectural structures that I look to for inspiration.”
I do see the industrial inspiration, plus there is that arrow decoration on the side.
I couldn’t find any information online about Joshua or his ceramic work. There is a raw, weathered look to this teapot that attracts my eyes..
The only information I could find online about Jeffrey or his ceramic work is that he works in industrial design. This teapot looks like it was cut out of thick steel, and then welded on the sides and around the top. Very much like the product of a computer-driven steel cutting machine.
I couldn’t find any solid information about Lauren’s ceramic work, except a few exhibits where she was listed as participant. I like the ridges at the side of the teapot; they enhance the color variation of the soda fired surface.
On an internet posting David states: “I am focused on making carefully crafted thoughtful utilitarian pottery. In forming pots, the potter is informing the user. How the cup, bowl, mug is shaped affects how the user connects and completes the work. There is an intimacy in the use of handmade pots that does not exist in other art forms. “. Teapot I looks great, because of the cut on the body of the teapot.
On a group website Alex states: “This body of work fuses my fascination with astronomy and passion for pottery. The universe is a never ending supply of form and surface which I use as resources to create abstract renditions of the universe through investigations in form, glaze, and clay body. This emphasizes the emptiness inside each vessel as it relates to the vastness of space.” . I can see in the glazing the swirling patterns of the galaxies.
I couldn’t find any information about Beverly on the internet.
I found a Facebook post with a statement from Samantha: “My work honors my family background in gathering around the teapot. The surfaces are inspired by the area around me in rural Oklahoma. As a functional ceramist, I want people to use my pots to create teapot traditions for their own families.”. I found it exciting to see such a simple, but still novel decoration (using leaf prints) against the red clay body.
Julia states on her web site that: “My degree in Art Therapy serves as a compass for my ceramic art. My clay work is a source of therapy and expression for me and, hopefully, for the viewer. For many years I have focused upon uniting clay and painting. As I become more proficient, I am more able to express my thoughts, concerns and sentiments through my art.” She uses underglaze to paint on pottery. Her inspirations come from rural surrounding in Missouri.
On her very brief web site she days : “Hiromi makes figurative and narrative clay sculptures. Her work is based mostly on her past and current life experiences.”
It would be interesting how Grandma translates into the shapes and color of this teapot.
On her web site Amanda states” I often rely upon my past as a researcher, writer, and linguist. The language may be different, but the final intent remains the same: to communicate. Within my work I utilize various clay bodies, the expressive nature of color, inlaid linework, printmaking techniques, glazes, and lusters to translate ideas to surface. I use my own personal narrative as a starting point for creation, driving the domestic nature of the objects and imagery, with the idea that my story will resonate with others, perhaps some who are unable to tell their own. ” This piece is titled: the song of Mariana Pineda. Mariana was a Spanish feminist who was executed in the 1800’s for her feminist equality views.